Three Self-sufficient Water Treatment Plants, One Shared Data Room
COMPANY
Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH
SECTOR
Drinking Water Supply
LOCATION
Gütersloh
CUSTOMER SINCE
2004
100+
automated operational reports
143.424
process data points per day
5,5 Mio
cubic meters of drinking water per year
Initial Situation
From Isolated Solution to Integrated System
Stadtwerke Gütersloh faced a situation that highlighted a genuine need for action for companies with critical infrastructure: a software solution that had served them reliably for years—but hinged on a single external individual for updates and further development. And it was clear that new regulatory requirements were on the horizon that the system would no longer be able to meet.
For operators of critical infrastructure, this is not a theoretical risk—it is a strategic imperative.
Image: Aerial view of the Nordrheda-Ems Water Treatment Plant | © Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH
Growing Need for Plant Transparency
Operational data was scattered across various systems—there was no sufficiently comprehensive overview of trends, consumption, or anomalies across all three plants.
Rising Regulatory Requirements
Increasing demands regarding data sharing and documentation—but no system capable of responding quickly and flexibly.
Future-proofing as a Strategic Goal
The existing solution was no longer capable of supporting new interfaces and security requirements.
Redundancy as a New Requirement
Critical messages were routed through a single path—for a future-proof infrastructure, there should be at least two independent ones.
“It was clear to us: We need a forward-looking solution that can scale to meet future demands.”
Viktor Heide, Technical Planning Water Abstraction · Stadtwerke Gütersloh
Requirements & Partner Selection
Product + Expertise. Both Matter.
Stadtwerke Gütersloh was looking for a technically sound solution—and a partner that would work with them at eye level and enable their team.
The requirements included a unified solution for archiving, reporting, alarming, and visualization—each facility capable of operating independently, critical messages secured via at least two independent channels, and a platform that is future-proof with regular updates and the ability to adapt to new security standards.
One Point of Contact. For Everything.
No need to switch between providers—one partner who understands how all the components work together and can provide ongoing support.
Enablement, Not Dependence
Training and documentation so that the team can work independently—without having to hire a service provider for every change.
Software That Never Stops Evolving
acron, AIP, and JUNE5 are continuously being developed—protecting your investment instead of leading to a technical dead end.
Active Accompaniment
VIDEC proactively keeps you informed about new developments—via web meetings, presentations, or direct contact. This ensures that the team stays up to date on all relevant developments.
“The software is intuitive—it’s really easy to use. And the training sessions provided the necessary additional depth. We got up to speed pretty quickly and felt well taken care of.”
Viktor Heide, Technical Planning Water Abstraction · Stadtwerke Gütersloh
Solution
A Solid Data Foundation and Strategic Vision
VIDEC worked with the customer to implement a scalable, robust solution—provided by a single source, fully integrated, and continuously refined.
ACRON
Tamper-proof Long-term Archiving
Each water treatment plant was equipped with its own iFIX and acron server station, which operates completely independently. The plants continuously exchange data via the acron Mirror—if the connection fails, each plant continues to archive data on its own and automatically synchronizes with the others the next time a connection is established. The result:
→ All relevant data is available in full at every location at all times—tamper-proof and complete.
Data and Plant Transparency
The graph function displays daily trends at a glance—the interaction between the three plants, the performance of the filtration systems, and peak consumption.
→ acron is designed so that users with varying levels of technical expertise can start working with it quickly—without a lengthy learning curve.
JUNE5
Turning Data into a Strategic Advantage
JUNE5 allows data from acron to be directly combined with external sources: weather data, groundwater levels, extraction rights, and electricity consumption. A dashboard shows how current water extraction compares to approved extraction rights—including forecasts and a traffic-light system.
→ The customized dashboards are used at all levels: from operations to management.
AIP
Reliable Alarming with Redundancy
AIP ensures that critical messages are transmitted via at least two independent channels—VoIP and GSM. If one channel fails, the other automatically takes over. Especially for critical infrastructure, this isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity: An alarm must be received, always and regardless of the delivery method.
→ Customizable alarm messages and message flood suppression ensure that the team remains capable of taking action and keeps track of the situation, even during periods of frequent events.
Images: Water Treatment Plants on Langer Weg, Nordrheda-Ems, and Quenhorn | © Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH
“That’s obviously a huge advantage—you can look at the graphs, identify trends and correlations. And then you can position yourself optimally for the future. […] If a door contact opens at night, AIP has to work. And it does—reliably, every time.”
Viktor Heide, Technical Planning Water Abstraction · Stadtwerke Gütersloh
Results & Added Value
Nearly 20 Years of Operation Speak for Themselves: The Changes acron Has Brought to the Company
Automated Reporting & Compliance
Reports that used to be compiled manually are now generated automatically. All operational data can be retrieved retroactively for any number of years – serving as the basis for communication with authorities, water rights, and regulatory documentation.
More time for what matters most. Peace of mind during audits and inquiries.
New Analytical Capabilities at Every Level
JUNE5 has not only sped up existing analyses—it has also made it possible to conduct evaluations that previously lacked the necessary time. Dashboards featuring forecasts and traffic-light indicators are now used at every level, from operations to management.
Better forecasts, better decisions at every level.
Redundancy That Works
Critical messages are transmitted via two independent channels. If one fails, the other takes over—even at night, even in the event of line damage. No more single points of failure in the alarm chain.
Reliability at the KRITIS level.
More Autonomy, Less Dependence
Today, colleagues can access dashboards on their own—without having to go through the system administrator. And if questions arise, VIDEC is there to help quickly and directly, with designated contacts who are experts in the field.
Relief in everyday life. Support that really responds.
“We wanted a provider who understands the entire system and can support us in using it. And the fact that we ourselves are able to work with it—that was just as crucial.”
Viktor Heide, Technical Planning Water Abstraction · Stadtwerke Gütersloh
Looking Ahead
Next Steps
Mobile Maintenance
In the future, maintenance data will be recorded directly on-site using mobile devices—on a smartphone, right at the site, without any disruption in the workflow. The recorded system data also serves as the foundation for predictive maintenance and repairs—allowing anomalies to be identified early on, before they become problems.
Company-wide Data overview
In the future, JUNE5 will consolidate energy consumption, PV systems, and sales figures to provide a comprehensive overview of the entire supply infrastructure.
Image: Headquarters | © Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH
Customer Profile
Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH
Drinking water of the highest quality – around the clock
Stadtwerke Gütersloh does not manufacture a traditional industrial product – it extracts, pumps, and purifies the world’s most essential foodstuff: drinking water of the highest purity in accordance with DIN 2000. Three highly automated water treatment plants together produce approximately 5.5 million cubic meters of drinking water per year.
What makes the company special: the combination of state-of-the-art technology and deep local roots. Stadtwerke Gütersloh stands for quality, proximity, and reliability to ensure the supply of high-quality drinking water to residents.
The standard by which the municipal utility is measured: 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, top-quality drinking water flows from the tap in Gütersloh and the surrounding area—without anyone having to think about it. That is the result of good work behind the scenes.